Vapor-bath apparatus.



P-ATENTBD AUG. 20, 1907.

v 0. D. WALTZ. VAPOR BATH APPARATUS.

'APPLIOATIOH FILED JIj'LY 31,1906.

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PATENTBD AUG. 20, 1907.

0. D. WALTZ. VAPOR BATH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1906.

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ORVIS D. WALTZ, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

VAPOR-BATH APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed July 31, 1906. Serial No. 328,571.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Onvrs D. WALTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma, county of Pierce, State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor-Bath Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to vapor bath apparatus, and has for its object to provide an apparatus of the portable type adapted to be applied to an ordinary chair or other seating appliance in such way that the patient may readily gain access to and exit from the apparatus without assistance, the apparatus being so arranged that the cover may be dropped into position about the patient so as to effectively exclude drafts and retain the vapors generated within the cabinet, and also to admit of the patient being bathed by an attendant without exposing him to contact with the external atmosphere. To this end, the apparatus comprises a standard having an upper hinged section to which is attached a supporting frame for a flexible cover, which latter is conveniently formed with an upper cape section which incloses the neck and shoulders of the patient, and a lower skirt section which drops to the floor and which said cape section overlaps, clamping bars by means of which the standard is secured to the chair or other seating apparatus, and a cover distending frame carried by said clamping bars, said distending frame also having a movable front section to permit ready entrance and exit to and from the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the-same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the cover in position, a portion of the cape portion being broken 'away to show the arrangement thereof.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates a seat for the patient which may conveniently consist of an ordinary chair. Clamped to the outside of the front and back legs of the chair by means of a cross bolt 0, spring strap d and set nut f, are two clamping bars I; and c which are preferably extended beyond the sides of the chair and serve to attach the various parts of the apparatus to the chair.

Mounted on the face of the bar 0 and in position to come midway of the back of the chair is a socketed clamp 1 provided with a set screw Z, by means of which a standard at is secured to said clamping bars and to the chair in any desired vertical adjustment with reference to the height of the patient. Said standard m is provided with an upper section 11. which is hinged to the lower section by a pivotal joint m, of any preferred construction, which admits of said upper section being swung backward from a vertical position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Carried by the upper section a of the standard is a supporting franfe for the flexible cover of the apparatus which frame may be conveniently formed of sections of wire rod or other suitable material bent to suitable shape, an upper section 0 of relatively small diameter being located substantially horizontal and a lower section p which may be attached to the upper section 0 at the forward portion thereof, and which inclines downwardly and is attached to the upper portion of the standard at some distance below the juncture of the upper section 0 therein. The two sections 0 and p constitute the cover supporting frame. The upper sec tion 0 carries a cape-like portion of the cover y as shown in Fig. 3, said cape-like portion having a central opening provided with a drawstring to permit the passage of the patients head and subsequently to draw the edges of the cape about the opening around the neck to prevent the escape of vapors. The skirt portion to of the cover is mounted upon the lower member p of the frame and may be secured thereto in any suitable manner as for example by buttons and button holes or by any convenient form of snap catch.

Secured to the clamping bars I) and c is a cover distending frame which is adapted to hold the skirt portion of the cover out from the chair on all sides, so as to keep the cover away from the body of the patient and also to allow room for an attendant to bathe the patient should such operation be desired. This cover distending frame consists of two side rods g, g, attached to the clamping bars b and c, in any convenient manner, which rods are curved toward each other at the front and terminate in two loops h, leaving an open space between them to permit the entry or exit of the patient. The space between the rods g, g, is normally closed by a curved rod or bar 1' which has a sliding connection with the rod 9 and is provided at its outer end with a hook portion adapted to engage the end of the rod g and thereby close the gap between the rods.

In employing the apparatus, as hereinbefore described, after the standard at has been adjusted in the clamp Z to regulate the height of the apparatus to that of the patient, the patient enters the space in front of the chair inclosed by the cover distending frame, draws the upper portion of the cover downward, so that the frame portion 0 is in horizontal position, inserts his head through the opening in the upper portion of the cape and draws the edges of the opening about his neck. The skirt portion of the cover is then dropped into position around the outside of the distending frame and the rod 11 slid into position to close the opening between the forward ends of the rods g, g.

The vapor generating apparatus having been lighted, the patient is now properly disposed for his bath, and the vapors and fumes are permitted to come in contact with every portion of his body, except the head. Should it be found necessary for an attendant to bathe the patient about the shoulders while he is still in the apparatus, the cape may be raised sufficiently to admit the arms of the attendant, who may then effectively bathe the shoulders and upper torso of the patient without admitting dangerous drafts. Should it be desirable to bathe the entire body of the patient, the attendant may gain access to the patient in the cabinet by raising the skirt portion in front, sliding back the bar 1' and passing the hand within the cabinet.

When the apparatus is not in use, it may be dismantled and stored away in a small space by releasing the clamping bars I) and c from the chair, removing the standard from the clamp Z and folding the upper portion of said standard back against the lower portion thereof. The members g, g of the skirt distending frame may also be removed so that the whole apparatus may be packed within a small space, always ready for rapid assemblage when it is desired to use the apparatus.

What I claim is 1. A vapor bath apparatus, comprising a standard having a hinged section, a cover supporting frame attached to and extending forwardly of said hinged section, and a flexible cover carried by said frame.

2. A vapor bath apparatus, comprising a standard having a hinged section, a cover supporting; frame attached to said hinged section, said frame including upper and lower members, and a flexible cover formed of a cape carried by the upper member and a skirt carried by the lower member.

3. A vapor bath apparatus, comprising a seat, a standard attached to said seat and having a hinged upper section, a cover supporting frame attached to and extending forwardly of said hinged section, and a flexible cover carried by said frame.

4. A vapor bath apparatus, comprising a seat, a stand ard attached to said seat and having a hinged upper section, a cover supporting frame attached to and extending forwardly of said hinged section, a flexible cover carried by said frame, and a cover distending frame on .the lower portion of said apparatus.

5. A vapor bath apparatus, comprising a seat, a stand ard attached to said seat and having a hinged upper section, a cover supporting frame attached to and extending forwardly of said hinged section, a flexible cover carried by said frame, and a cover distending frame in the lower part of said apparatus, said standard being vertically adjustable with respect to said seat.

6. A vapor bath apparatus, comprising a seat, a standard having a hinged upper section, clamping bars for securing said standard to said seat, a cover supporting frame attached to and extending forwardly of the hinged section of said standard, and a flexible cover carried by said frame.

7. A vapor bath apparatus, comprising a seat, a stand ard having a hinged upper section, clamping bars for se curing said standard to said seat, a cover supporting frame attached to the hinged section of said standard, a flexible cover carried by said frame, and a cover distending frame supported on said clamping bars.

8. A vapor bath apparatus, comprising a seat, a'standard having a hinged upper section, clamping bars for securing said standard to said seat, a cover supporting frame attached to the hinged section of said standard, a flexible cover carried by said frame, and a cover distending frame 'supported on said clamping bars, said cover distending frame having a movable front section to permit passage to and from said apparatus.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ORVIS D. WALTZ.

Witnesses:

THOMAS W. HAMMOND, JOSEPHINE R. EDIE. 

